Eighty-eight people have been hospitalized and a second person has died from Legionnaires' disease in North Carolina, health officials reported Oct. 9.
In total, 125 people have contracted Legionnaires' across 19 counties. Nine cases have also occurred in out-of-state residents.
The outbreak has been linked to the N.C. Mountain State Fair, which was held from Sept. 6-15. At least one water testing sample identified Legionella bacteria near a hot tub display at the fair, according to preliminary findings from the North Carolina health department.
Legionnaires' disease is a serious lung infection contracted when water droplets containing Legionella bacteria are inhaled. One in ten people who contract Legionnaires' die, according to the CDC. Since 2000, the rate of reported cases has risen by 550 percent.
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